Posts by Joshua Renza | Today at ��ϲ�� | ��ϲ��

Jensen Roll ’16 builds community through Roll Construction, blending entrepreneurship with service

Joshua Renza — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:13:12 +0000

For Jensen Roll ’16, being recognized with the Top 10 Under 10 award is particularly meaningful because it highlights a path some may overlook: staying local.

“When I was a student, there weren’t a huge number of local alumni that I was able to connect with,” he said. “I’m excited that this is a way I can highlight that staying in the community is an option.”

Jensen Roll ’16 at an ��ϲ�� study room.

For Jensen Roll ’16, the path to building a business began long before he ever stepped onto a construction site. His path started with service, leadership and a long-standing connection to North Carolina. Both of his parents were born and raised in North Carolina, and summers spent visiting grandparents made it feel like a second home. So, when he began looking at colleges, North Carolina topped his list. ��ϲ�� stood out almost immediately.

“I discovered ��ϲ�� while looking at multiple schools and immediately fell in love with the service opportunities, the Leadership Fellows program and the deep commitment to study abroad,” he said.

The Leadership Fellows program was the primary motivation for his enrollment; he was accepted into the program before receiving his acceptance to the university.

Jensen Roll ’16, pictured on left, pictured at a SOCAP event with other innovation fellows.

Once on campus, Roll leaned into innovation. He designed a custom major in social entrepreneurship that bridged the gap between the business school, environmental studies and the humanities. He helped bring the University Innovation Fellowship program to ��ϲ��. This experience introduced him to design thinking and the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Silicon Valley, including visits to Google and Stanford University.

Because his self-designed major didn’t fit into a standard study abroad box, Roll worked with Angela Llewellyn, now assistant provost for academic excellence and integrity, to create a bespoke program. This journey took him to San Francisco and eventually to Cape Town, South Africa, for six months. It was there, while attending Jubilee Church through a connection from Emma Burress (then overseeing study abroad students), that he met his future wife, Mtende. After a year and a half of long-distance dating, she moved to North Carolina and today they are 50-50 partners in life and business.

While Jensen oversees the construction side as a licensed general contractor, Mtende is a licensed realtor who manages the investment and real estate side of their ventures.

“We co-own all of our companies together. Both of us have a very entrepreneurial and creative spirit,” he explained, stating that their shared vision is the backbone of their company culture.

Jensen Roll ’16

He credits a wide network of mentors for pushing him to think differently. In addition to Leon Williams, former director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education (CREDE), he points to Gary Palin, former executive director of the Doherty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, for challenging him to “be” an entrepreneur rather than just study it. He also highlights the influence of Steve Moore, a retired faculty member in environmental studies who shaped his views on urban sustainability. His growth was further guided by Phil Miller, a former lecturer in human services studies; Rex Waters, former dean of student development; and Steven Mencarini, former director of the Center for Leadership.

“The ability to work one-on-one with professors and attend national conferences gave me the confidence to launch initiatives like H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Eat),” he said.

Perhaps the most significant application of this “Triple Bottom Line” education, focusing on people, profit, and planet, is a current project Roll is particularly proud of: building seven tiny homes for Benevolence Farm. The project provides housing for women and non-binary individuals transitioning out of incarceration.

“As a construction company, not every project we take on has that opportunity to provide that triple bottom line in a meaningful way,” Roll said. “This is going to increase their capacity to serve that population.”

What’s been most rewarding, he said, is watching that impact accumulate.

“Construction is unique because the results are tangible and lasting,” he said. “Years later, you can drive by something you worked on and see how it’s become part of someone’s life.”

Jensen Roll ’16, speaking with student from Grove Park Elementary school in Burlington, NC.

He credits ��ϲ�� with giving him the freedom to experiment early, without the pressure of getting everything right.

“��ϲ�� was the ultimate sandbox,” he said. “It was a place to try things, take risks and even fail safely.”

He notes that while he didn’t graduate with a construction management degree, the problem-solving and systems-building skills he learned at ��ϲ�� translated perfectly to the industry.

“What I spent four years learning at ��ϲ�� had much more to do with the problem-solving, the engaged learning, the building of systems,” he said. “That is what we are doing in the real world.”

His advice to current students interested in entrepreneurship mirrors that mindset.

“Start now,” he said. “Spend time with business owners. Read. Build something. Use your four years to experiment while you still have that safety net. The best way to learn is by doing.”

Jensen Roll ’16, pictured smiling with other members attending SOCAP Conference 2014.

Looking ahead, Roll is eager to take on larger, more complex and more creative projects. He thrives on unique builds and clients with distinct design visions. At the same time, he sees affordable housing as an area where his background in both entrepreneurship and service naturally converges.

“Our goal is to build a community that we want to live in,” he said. “The company is so closely aligned with the things that we care about.”

From building a tiny house as a student to shaping the built environment of his community, Roll’s journey highlights the combination of service and entrepreneurship, a foundation strengthened at ��ϲ�� and carried forward through every project he takes on.

Yasmine Arrington Brooks ’15 expands ScholarCHIPS’ national reach after earning 2025 L’Oréal Paris Woman of Worth honor

Joshua Renza — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 21:59:37 +0000

When Yasmine Arrington Brooks ’15 learned she had been selected as a 2025 L’Oréal Paris Woman of Worth, she couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing.

“I was in complete shock,” she said. “Elated, ecstatic, excited; it’s a big deal. Especially for girls and women, we’ve all had at least one L’Oréal Paris product in our purses or bathrooms. I grew up watching their commercials. Their tagline is ‘Because You’re Worth It.’ For a brand like that to see my worth, and the worth of ScholarCHIPS, means so much.”

The recognition follows her recent honor as a Top 10 CNN Hero in 2023, another milestone in the journey that began when she founded ScholarCHIPS, a nonprofit providing college scholarships and community support for students with incarcerated parents. Over the past year, her organization has undergone its most significant transformation yet.

After CNN Heroes aired, ScholarCHIPS expanded its eligibility beyond the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia region and began accepting applications from students across the United States. The results were immediate, as more than 120 applications from students nationwide, many of whom learned about the program because of a new partnership with Securus Technologies. The company’s 500,000+ tablets in jails and prisons helped spread the word to incarcerated parents, who then contacted their children to encourage them to apply.

Yasmine Arrington Brooks ’15 smiling and celebrating at a ScholarCHIPS event.

“What we saw was incredible,” Arrington Brooks said. “That year, we welcomed our largest cohort of 24 students. We’re now serving 45 scholars. Since 2012, ScholarCHIPS has awarded over $600,000 in scholarships to more than 120 students, and we’ve had 54 graduates. Opening our doors to the country has been amazing, and it’s only the beginning.”

The heart of ScholarCHIPS has always been its community. Alumni return to mentor new scholars. Students bond through karaoke nights, game nights, advocacy trips and shared celebrations. Last year, she took several scholars and alumni to Arizona State University for the National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference, where she moderated a panel featuring ScholarCHIPS students sharing their experiences.

“It’s a community where we uplift one another,” she said. “We laugh together, we cry together, we grow together. So many friendships have formed here. So many mentorships. I want to replicate this on college campuses across the country.”

Among the many students who remind her why the work matters is Temya Jackson, a biomedical engineering student from Arizona who has excelled academically while supporting her family. ScholarCHIPS has provided her with mentorship, technology support and a place to feel understood and encouraged.

“Temya is brilliant,” she said. “A straight-A student doing advanced research. She feels seen here. She feels celebrated. And now she’s working toward becoming a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar, a program I’m also an alum of. That’s what ScholarCHIPS does.”

Arrington Brooks’ commitment to her organization is deeply tied to her own lived experiences. Raised by her grandmother while her father was incarcerated, she learned resilience, creativity and the value of education by watching the woman who held her family together.

Yasmine Arrington Brooks ’15 poses at the ScholarCHIPS 13th Awards ceremony.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without my grandmother,” she said. “She taught me what faith looks like, what sacrifice looks like, what it means to love family no matter what you’re going through. I refused to allow my dad’s circumstances, or growing up in poverty, to be the end of my story. Those experiences were my beginning, but not my final destination.”

Her time at ��ϲ�� shaped her leadership philosophy in lasting ways. As an undergraduate, she participated in ��ϲ�� LEADS, alternative service trips with the gospel choir and study-abroad programs, became an ��ϲ�� College Fellow (Arts & Sciences), a Ghana Periclean Scholar, and even organized a benefit concert on campus to raise money for ScholarCHIPS, bringing together a cappella groups, fraternities and sororities.

“All of my ��ϲ�� experiences helped form who I am,” she said. “I developed lifelong relationships with professors, some of whom I’m still close with ten years later.” She shared special gratitude for President Emeritus Leo M. Lambert, President Connie Book, Randy Williams, Dean Kenn Gaither, Anthony Hatcher, Rodney Clare, Marnia McIntyre, and Marilyn Slade, all of whom played meaningful roles in her time at ��ϲ��.

Her advice for students hoping to create something that helps others is simple: “Start it now. Find a social issue you care about. Be creative about how you want to help. Share it with classmates, professors and people in the ��ϲ�� community. You’d be surprised how many will want to support you.”

Looking ahead, her dream is to establish ScholarCHIPS chapters on college campuses, expand donor support and reach more of the nearly five million children of incarcerated parents in the United States.

“There’s so much work to be done,” she said. “We want to keep growing our family; new scholars, new donors, new volunteers. We want to scale our impact so even more young people know they’re worthy and they’re not alone.”

She encourages ��ϲ�� alumni and community members to learn more or get involved by visiting or reaching out through ScholarCHIPS’ social media channels on and .

From national stages like CNN Heroes to being honored as a Woman of Worth, Arrington Brooks continues to rise and brings her scholars with her. Her mission remains to turn pain into purpose, to build community and to help young people believe in their own worth.

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Arron Jones-Williams ’13 turns foster-care resilience into a company helping rescue dogs

Joshua Renza — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 21:34:09 +0000

Arron Jones-Williams ’13 has built a business grounded in compassion, optimism and the belief that every life deserves a chance. As the founder of Rescue Treats, an all-natural dog treat company that donates part of every sale to rescue organizations, he often describes himself in a simple phrase that describes his purpose: “I’m a former foster kid helping foster dogs.”

Arron grew up in Ohio’s foster-care system before being adopted as a pre-teen. He remembers the moves, the uncertainty and the mix of great and not-so-great foster homes. What stayed with him was his determination not to let his circumstances define him. “Foster care made me a glass-half-full person,” he said. “Things could always be worse, so just be happy.”

Arron Jones-Williams ’13 giving a speech at ��ϲ��.

When it came time for college, he looked for somewhere far enough away to feel like a fresh start but close enough to reach on a Greyhound bus from Cleveland. ��ϲ�� fit. He enrolled in 2009 and majored in political science, quickly becoming involved across campus. He served as president of the College Democrats, participated in Model UN, became a Civic Engagement Scholar and joined Pi Gamma Mu, the international social sciences honor society.

“��ϲ�� had the most beautiful campus I’d ever seen,” he said. “It just felt like the right place.”

He pieced together his education through federal grants, financial aid and on-campus work, including serving as a resident assistant. But his time at ��ϲ�� was also shaped by people who stepped in when he needed help.

“A huge shoutout to Phil Smith, he paid for my books every year,” he said. “My best friend since freshman year, Danny, and his mom, Lisa, realized I didn’t have a laptop or meal plan. She sponsored me. She’s been my second mom ever since.”

After graduation, Arron moved into finance and consulting. Even while working full-time, he found himself sketching an idea for a company that blended his love for dogs with his desire to make an impact. When his department learned it was being eliminated, he took the severance offer and decided to pursue his idea fully.

“There were other roles I could’ve taken,” he said. “But I figured if there was ever a moment to take the leap, that was it.”

Arron Jones-Williams ’13, smiles as he holds his degree at his graduation from ��ϲ��.

Rescue Treats grew out of those first prototypes. Arron designed a checkout system where customers choose which rescue receives a donation from their purchase. The treats are baked with simple, all-natural ingredients, and customers can subscribe to receive recurring deliveries while continuing to support the rescue of their choice. He doesn’t take a salary, so more money can go back to the organizations they work with.

He remembers one moment when the impact of his work felt real. He was leaving the bakery, walking to the post office with a stack of orders, when it hit him how far the idea had come.

“The late nights, the rejections; it all felt worth it,” he said. “These bags were going into homes across the country. They were helping dogs I’d never even met. I went from being tired to thinking, ‘How do I scale this to help more?’”

Not every step along the way has been easy. Early on, he pitched to a major grocery chain and was told that “dog treats don’t sell well here.” He laughed, thinking back on it.

“Maybe theirs don’t,” he said. “Ours fly off the shelves and they support rescues.”

Rescue Treats has since been recognized by local and state leaders for its mission-driven model.

A rescue dog smiles, laying next to Rescue Treats.

One partnership that stayed with him was Strong Paws Rescue. After a particularly slow quarter, he called to apologize for what he thought was too small a donation.

“Meg, the founder, told me never to think like that,” he said. “She said $60 can save a dog’s life; that pays for worm pills. My mind exploded. Every order matters.”

Arron says ��ϲ�� helped prepare him more than he realized at the time.

“I like to think I got a second major in studying people and making friends,” he said. “Running a business, you learn from your mistakes, you study others to avoid theirs and you build a network of support.”

He also reflects on how Southern manners stuck with him.

“As a northern kid at a southern school, I learned ‘yes ma’am’ and ‘yes sir.’ I can’t tell you how far manners go. A smile can start a conversation that teaches you a million things,” he said.

Rescue Treats has recently expanded into a no-cost fundraising program for schools, clubs and sports teams, allowing students to sell the treats while still supporting a rescue on the back end, what Arron calls a “double fundraiser.” The model has taken off. “Students are outselling traditional fundraisers,” he said. “And once a dog has a new favorite treat, families come back for more.”

When asked what advice he’d give to his 18-year-old self, or to current ��ϲ�� students with a business idea of their own, he didn’t hesitate.

“Entrepreneurs find areas that need improvement,” he said. “That’s all it is. Find the thing that isn’t being done well or isn’t being done at all and start there.”

You can purchase all-natural Rescue Treats, as well as learn more information at Find them on and .

Rescue Treats employee holds fresh dog treats at a bakery.

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Shaan Gandhi ’27 turns love of sports into real-world experience with the Queen City Internship Grant

Joshua Renza — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 19:44:18 +0000

As a kid reporter for Sports Illustrated, Shaan Gandhi ’27 learned to chase stories, ask sharp questions and keep pace with a fast-moving game. At ��ϲ��, that momentum carries into everything he does, from coursework in sport management to an internship with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during his ��ϲ�� in Charlotte experience.

“The ACC gave me work that actually mattered; projects you could see reflected in real events,” he said.

Shaan Gandhi ’27 smiles while standing in front of the ACC Basketball logo during his internship.

Relationships are what drew Gandhi to ��ϲ��.

“I wanted a smaller school because building relationships with professors is the most important thing you can do,” he said.

Those connections, from weekly check-ins with Associate Professor of Journalism Alex Luchsinger to mentorship from Assistant Professor of Sport Management Khirey Walker, have shaped his path in and out of the classroom.

“If you make an effort at ��ϲ��, your professors make that effort back,” said Gandhi.

Support from philanthropy helped unlock the Charlotte opportunity. Through the Queen City Internship Grant, Gandhi could focus fully on learning, not logistics.

“The grant gave me peace of mind,” he said. “It meant I could focus on the experience, my internship, schoolwork and my business, instead of worrying about day-to-day expenses.”

In an earlier feature reflecting on the fall cohort, he added that the ACC helped him strengthen “time management,” learn new tools, adapt on the fly, and most of all, learn “how to be a professional (…) in emails, meetings, and as a teammate.”

The ��ϲ�� in Charlotte program places students in the center of one of the country’s most active sports markets, and the Queen City Internship Grant removes barriers to participating, prioritizing unpaid roles and first credit-bearing internships, with typical awards ranging from $1,000–$5,000.

Shaan Gandhi ’27 smiles while posing for a photo with four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal.

Entrepreneurship is the other half of Gandhi’s education. As owner of SAG Autographs, he’s built relationships with athletes and agents while managing high-value inventory and transactions. He’s learned to stay adaptable; if an injury, trade or headline changes the game overnight, he pivots. Balancing the business with classes and an internship has sharpened his scheduling and discipline, skills he knows will matter beyond campus. Faculty see the same drive.

“Shaan is a serious student who had the fire in his belly before he started at ��ϲ��,” said Luchsinger. “His prior business experience positioned him well to be a leader in the classroom. He’s a successful entrepreneur in the sports sector and has gotten plugged into complementary sectors within sports. I could see him doing just about anything he wants, from solo entrepreneur to an ‘intrapreneur’ innovating within a larger company.”

For Gandhi, that mentorship has been pivotal.

“There are different ways to be mentored,” he said. “Dr. Luchsinger and Dr. Walker have helped me think through decisions for my business and my internship. ��ϲ��’s professors really know their students. They care.”

Shaan Gandhi ’27 smiles while posing for a photo with three-time NBA champion Larry Bird.

He also carries one piece of advice forward from Luchsinger.

“Dr. Luchsinger told me you should never close any doors, even ones you didn’t expect to open,” Gandhi said. “I didn’t know I’d love what I was doing at the ACC but keeping that door open led to more opportunities.”

From Sports Illustrated interviews to game-day operations, Gandhi’s story is about turning access into impact and about the donors who make that access possible.

“Philanthropy let me say yes to an experience that changed how I work,” he said. “I’m grateful for that support, and I hope to pay it forward.”

Carmencita Rosales ’20 turns sister’s recovery into a red carpet calling

Joshua Renza — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 14:13:14 +0000

When her older sister, Gabriela Rosales ’20, was recovering at WakeMed after being struck by a car in 2015, Carmencita Rosales ’20 improvised a bedside show to lift spirits. “I could see her mood change every time. I understood then: if I’m on camera, I want to transmit that energy to people who need it.”

That spark, born in a hospital room and cultivated at ��ϲ��, now powers Rosales’ work as a bilingual journalist, TV host and content creator traveling to red carpets and fashion weeks across Latin America and the U.S.

Carmencita Rosales, poses while walking the red carpet at the 37th Lo Nuestro Awards.

In early 2025, she checked off two vision-board moments: New York Fashion Week and Premio Lo Nuestro, an awards show honoring the best of Latin music. “Stepping out of the car and seeing the cameras, the fans, I thought, this is real,” she said.

��ϲ�� felt like home from the start, Rosales says, even before she enrolled, when her family visited campus during her sister’s recovery. The support continued when she arrived as a student. “El Centro was my support system,” she said, adding that staff like Sylvia Muñoz and Diana Prieto were family. She also credits the Center for Race, Ethnicity & Diversity Education (CREDE) and the daily kindness of dining staff who “checked on me, cheered me on, and made campus feel like home.”

She entered as a cinema and television arts major but quickly gravitated toward being on-air. A friend encouraged her to try ETalk, the student-run TV show. “There was a spark when I saw the host,” she said. “They brought so much magic to the table. I thought, ‘Why don’t I do that?’.”

Another nudge led her to WSOE, where she launched the station’s first Spanish-language radio program, Tu Cita Favorita, a weekly hour of entertainment news and music. “It was just me, myself and I, talking about what I loved,” Rosales said. “I wanted the Burlington community to hear Spanish on air.”

Carmencita Rosales, left, and Kristina Piersanti ’19, right, pictured smiling while working for ETalk in 2018.

Faculty mentors helped her embrace bilingual storytelling. Professor Anthony Hatcher “showed me not to be afraid of speaking Spanish in journalism, or of my accent,” she said.

Professor Kelly Furnas remembers the purpose behind her early assignments.

“Beyond energy, engagement and work ethic, she brought a sense of purpose to her writing,” Furnas said.

Professor Alex Luchsinger also noticed a “lightbulb moment” as Rosales leaned into reporting on Nicaragua and Latin America. “Her background and skillset put her in a good position to do this,” Luchsinger said.

A pivotal moment came when Maity Interiano ’07, a Univision host and ��ϲ�� alumna, returned to campus. While on campus, Rosales asked her for advice.

“Maity says people come to TV for three things: fame, a voice or to do what they love,” Rosales recalled. “I realized I want to entertain and inform, to be that spark for someone having a hard day.”

After four years of storytelling and growth, she was ready to take that energy into the professional world. Graduating into the 2020 pandemic, however, meant rescinded offers and a frozen job market. Rosales returned to Managua and pitched a morning segment to the national station, VosTV. The show, Tu Cita con Carmencita, began as a 15-minute feature twice a week. “I had no professional camera, just my phone and a lot of ganas (enthusiasm),” she said.

Carmencita Rosales poses inside of a live television set.

Then came a turning point. In February 2022, as her grandmother’s health declined, sponsors abruptly pulled out of the show.

“Within two days, about 15 brands said they couldn’t continue,” Rosales said. That same weekend, an international fashion invitation landed in her inbox. “It felt like a sign,” she said.

After her grandmother passed on Feb. 14, “her favorite date,” Rosales thanked viewers on live TV and announced it would be her last episode on the channel. “I took the invitation and went independent.”

Since then, Rosales has covered Miss Nicaragua and Latin American fashion weeks, and booked U.S. commercial work, all while growing Tu Cita con Carmencita as her own platform. She has also explored acting, including a role on a Telemundo project titled Velvet: El Nuevo Imperio.

“Being on set felt like home,” she said.

She took acting and special-effects classes at ��ϲ�� and hopes to keep that door open. Rosales is passionate about creating greater visibility for Hispanic journalists and TV hosts in the U.S. entertainment industry. She hopes her work helps open doors for others who share her background.

“I want young viewers, especially girls across Latin America, to see that their dreams are possible,” she said. “You have to believe in yourself and follow your heart.”

She also measures success differently now.

“Before ��ϲ��, I thought success was just making it,” she said. “Today, success is being at peace with where you are on the journey. As a Phoenix, we rise, no matter how many times we fall.”

Carmencita Rosales ’20 smiles on set while filming the Telemundo series “Velvet: Nuevo Imperio.”

Rosales keeps ��ϲ�� close to her heart. As a student, she often walked through the School of Communications’ ‘Wall of Fame’ for inspiration, reminding herself that the people on those walls once stood where she was.

“I used to look at those photos and think, one day, I want a Latina student to see my picture and believe it’s possible,” she said. Now, she hopes current students do the same, finding motivation in the stories of those who came before them.

She hopes to return to campus to speak with students and partner with Latin organizations.

Her advice to current Phoenix: “You don’t have to know your path as a first-year. Try everything. Walk the ‘Wall of Fame’ and see yourself there. Those four years are hard, and they shape you,” she said.

And for anyone navigating setbacks, she offers the same encouragement she once gave her sister from a hospital bedside: “Keep going. Little signs will tell you you’re on the right track, and the yeses always come.”

Do you know an alum who has an interesting story to tell, maybe even yourself? Please feel free to share those stories online.

Lillian Engel ’19 cuts her path from ��ϲ�� to Hollywood’s editing suites

Joshua Renza — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 18:48:50 +0000

The first time Lillian Engel ’19 stepped into ��ϲ�� University’s School of Communications, her attention went straight to the editing suites, not the cameras or soundstages.

“Something about seeing those editing rooms was just really intriguing,” she says. “By the time I arrived at ��ϲ��, I knew I wanted to be a cinema major. Specifically, within that, I had become interested in becoming an editor.”

That curiosity has since guided Engel through the cutting rooms of major studio projects, from “Extraction” on Netflix to “Joker: Folie à Deux” with Warner Bros. Today, she lives in Los Angeles, cutting out her place in Hollywood’s fast-moving post-production world, one frame at a time.

Growing up in Connecticut, Engel didn’t initially know that cinema and television could be a field of study. But after visiting ��ϲ��, she was drawn to the university’s approach.

“I’m a very hands-on person, other schools I visited talked about doing theory for the first few years,” she said. “At ��ϲ��, they encouraged filmmaking from day one.

Lillian Engel ’19 smiles while on set with FreshTV in 2015.

That approach gave Engel a creative outlet and community. She joined Cinelon Productions, the student-run film organization, where she eventually served as a writing executive.

“Editing is part technical and part storytelling,” she says, “Knowing how to tell a story, and being able to teach that, is integral to what I do. You need a big-picture understanding so you’re not just putting shots together.”

By the time she graduated, her professors knew exactly where her passion was. “If we were doing a project, they knew I wanted to be the editor,” Engel says. “They let me tailor my time at ��ϲ�� toward that focus.”

Engel credits several ��ϲ�� faculty members for helping her build that focus. Cinema & Television Arts faculty Nicole Triche and Youssef Osman, she says, helped refine her technical skills and explore new editing software. Director of Student Engagement and Special Projects and Assistant Professor of Journalism Colin Donohue, who served as her academic advisor, provided constant encouragement.

“He was always championing me toward my goals and helping me figure out where to position myself,” she said.

Lillian Engel ’19, working on-set for a Coca-Cola commercial competition in 2017. (Photo credit: Tommy Kopetskie)

Donohue recalls her as “one of the finest students I’ve had in 18 years.”

“Lillian exhibited tremendous leadership and empathy. She was thoughtful, creative and curious — the kind of student who inspired everyone around her to be better,” he said.

That drive carried her beyond campus. Engel interned in both New York and Los Angeles, gaining early exposure to production and post-production environments. She also studied abroad in Paris through ��ϲ��’s French program, an experience that deepened her love of global storytelling.

In 2018, she nearly missed the deadline for the American Cinema Editors’ (ACE) Student Editing Competition, but managed to submit her entry just in time. A few months later, she received an email that changed her path — she was named a finalist and invited to the ACE Eddie Awards in Beverly Hills. “It was surreal,” she says. “I was meeting people whose names I’d only ever seen in movie credits.”

Lillian Engel, left, smiles at the 2018 ACE Eddie Awards in Beverly Hills. From left to right: her mother Melissa, Jenny Stringfellow ’15 and Ben Stringfellow ’15.

The event became her first glimpse into the professional editing world and her first encounter with ��ϲ��’s vast alumni network.

“There was another ��ϲ�� alumnus there, and he later referred me for what became my first job. ��ϲ�� pulled through and got me my start in Hollywood,” she explained.

After graduating, Engel moved to Los Angeles without a job or apartment.

“I was couch-hopping and networking, but within weeks, two ��ϲ�� connections reached out at the same time with opportunities,” she said.

One of those connections led her to her first project: Netflix’s “Extraction,” where she joined the team as an office assistant.

“It was a really good take-off point, I was learning the back end of how a professional post-production office runs,” said Engel.

She has since worked on high-profile projects, including “Vacation Friends” for Hulu, “Peter Pan & Wendy” for Disney+, and “Joker: Folie à Deux” for Warner Bros. As an assistant editor on “Joker: Folie à Deux,” she helped manage footage organization, sound and music coordination and communication between departments.

Lillian Engel poses beside the Joker 2 film poster in 2024, where she served as assistant editor.

“I was in charge of liaising with the music department, sending and receiving cuts, and integrating the composers’ work,” she explained. “It was a good way for me to learn the process without being totally overwhelmed.”

Despite the differences between genres, Engel says the essence of editing remains the same. “The process doesn’t necessarily change, you still screen, cut, and refine scene by scene with the director. What changes is the scale, but the collaboration and creativity stay constant.”

Now an editor for an independent feature film, she reflects on the challenges of working in an industry that thrives on connections.

“There are no job boards in editing; everything is word of mouth. You can’t force the network, it happens organically,” she said.

She’s also quick to note that setbacks are part of the process: “Mistakes happen, and the key is staying calm and finding a solution. If I’m confident I can fix it — the world isn’t ending. It reflects better to take responsibility, communicate, and move forward.”

Her mentors and collaborators have continued to inspire her growth, including “Joker” editor Jeff Groth.

“Jeff would have us assistants come in and ask our opinions,” she said. “He made the cutting room collaborative. That taught me a lot about leadership and trust.”

Engel remains connected to ��ϲ��’s film community, seeking to mentor students who want to enter post-production.

“When I first moved to LA, I didn’t know anyone except some other ��ϲ�� connections; that network has been everything,” she said. “I always want to be a resource for students interested in editing; it’s not as shiny as directing, but it’s vital to storytelling.”

Lillian Engel sits down at her editing desk in Los Angeles in 2023.

Her advice for students: practice constantly, “Editing is like a muscle; the more you do it, the stronger your eye and timing get. Get involved with projects, apply for competitions, and reach out to professionals. It’s all about staying curious and connecting with people.”

As for her own future, Engel hopes to keep exploring new genres. “I’d love to edit a musical one day, or maybe a period piece, something with a lot of emotion and texture. Right now, success means working on stories I care about and being part of great teams,” she explained.

For those who knew her at ��ϲ��, Engel’s story comes as no surprise. Donohue remembers presenting her “Outstanding Senior in Cinema and Television Arts’” award at the end-of-year ceremony.

“We didn’t need prepared remarks to celebrate Lillian,” he said, “She inspired people around her to be better. She left an imprint on this place.”

From the editing suites that first caught her eye to the cutting rooms of Hollywood, Engel’s path reflects the importance of curiosity and perseverance; the same values that continue to shape ��ϲ�� storytellers today.